Pressing machine



Feb 10, 1931. w. P. BEATTIE PRESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR I BY /Wm Feb. 10, 1931. w. P. BEATTIE PRESSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 10, 3 w. P. BEATTlE 9 ,519

PRESSING MACHINE Fild Oct. 9. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet s 1N VISA/TOR ATTO NEYJ' Patented Feb. 1%, 1931 s are WILLIAM r. nit-strain, or ivonwoon, onto, assienon TO Tern AMERICAN LAUNDRY araonrnnny consent, or rionwoon, onto, aeoaronarron or onto,

Pnnssme MACHINE Application filed October 9, I925. Serial No. 61,483.

This invention relates to power actuated pressing machines such as are used for pressing garments or for ironing laundered articles.

The object or the invention is to provide improved press of this kind in which the heat is lowered manually into pressing rela tion with the bed, following which ironing pressure may be produced by power actuated means.

Further objects of theinvention are to provide an improved press of the kind described in which the operating connections from the power source to the pressing head are dis abled when the press is open and continue so until the head has been manually moved so close to the bed as to avoid any possibility of any abnormal obstruction, such as a part of the operators person, lying between the head and bed, thereby safeguarding the operator from injury, and in which, .ioreover, when the presshas'been manually closed saic operating connections are rendered effective and are latched or held in operating position.

A further object of the invention is to provide means enabling tl e operator at will to unlatch said operating connections for opening the press without the production or" power pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a press of this kind in which the head. is opened by the power means and wherein the power mechanism automatically uncouples or disables the operating connections after a power operation.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide suitable improved control and timing means for producing power sequence of the operating movements and for stopping the head accurately in its several positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a special form of operating connections from the power operating member to the pressing members and which mechanism is specifically in the form of auxiliary toggle members capable of being broken to disable said connections or of being straightened to form a connecting rod between a power operat ng crank and the usual toggle operating members for the press head, a -d which iliary toggles are capable'of being actuated both automatically and at will to produce or prevent operating relation or position thereof.

Further objects of the invention are in pan obvious and in partwill appear more in sectional elevation on the line 66, Fig. 2, r

and illustrating the magnetically controlled brake'and a circuit switch; Fig. 'Zis'a detail sectional elevation on the line 7-?, Fig. 1; and 8 is an electric'diagram.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a suitable frame 1' supporting the usual padded garment support or pressing bed 2 and provided with an upwardly extending rear portion 8 on which is pivoted the upper lever 4 carrying the heated pressing head 5 and provided with an operating handle 6 at its torward'end and with a counterweight 7 on its rear arm. Said counter-weight is so adjusted as to'always tend to'open the pressing members. For operating them the pressing members are connected to a pair of upper and lower toggle members, the lower toggle member Sbeing pivoted at?) to the stationary frame and being provided with a foot 10 adapted to 'engagea stationary abutment 11 and limit press opening movement, and being pivotally connected at its upper end to the knuckle pin 12- connecting it to a rod 18 forming the upper toggle member. Said rod slides in a swivel block 14 carried by the head lever 4c and is provided with an adjustable collar 15 forming an abutment to vary the pressure of a compression spring 16.

The pressing members are operated by any suitable power operating prime mover, such as theelectric motor 17 ,1. the shaft 18 of which is provided with a brake drum 19, beyond which said shaft extends into a casing 20 and is there provided with a worm 21 on shaft 18 connected to drive a worm wheel 22 on a shaft 23, which latter shaft is pro vided with a crank 24 connected by a connecting rod to th toggle knuckle 12.

The connecting rod includes two members pivotally connected together by the pin 25, the first of such members, marked 26, extending from said pin to the end of the crank 24 and the second of said members, marked 27 extending from the pin 25 to the toggle knuckle 12. Said members 26, 27 are provided with abutments 28,29 (Fig. adapted to engage each other when the auxiliary toggle formed by members 26, 27 is moved to or a little beyond straightened position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, and one of said abutments, and particularly the abutment 29, is provided with a laterally extending pin on which is a roller 30, (Fig. 2) adapted to engage the hub of the crank 24 during operation of the parts for the purpose of breaking or opening the auxiliary toggle, as will appear. 31 represents a foot treadle pivoted at 32 in the frame and normally pressed against its stop 33 by a tension spring 34. The rear arm of said treadle has an upwardly extending portion terminating in lateral extension 35 lying beneath the auxiliary toggle members when straightened, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, to enable the operator to break or open the same at will and enable the pressing members when closed to be restored to open position prior to and without the application of power pressure.

The brake drum 19 is utilized for the purpose of stopping the moving power operating parts, for which purpose it cooperates with a brake band 36 fixed at 37 to a stationary part and at its opposite end connected to a rod 38 provided with a collar 39 forming an abutment for the compression spring 40. Said spring normally tends to tighten the brake band around its drum, but may be compressed to release the brake by the energization of a brake release coil 41 which actuates an armature 42, having an extension 48 carrying an adjustable abutment screw 44 opposite the end of rod 38. A lateral extension 45 on the armature 42 supports a yielding contact 46 adapted when the coil 41 is energized to be moved into conducting relation with a contact 47.

The timing switch includes members located within a hollow casing 48 surrounding the shaft 23 and fixed against rotation by a bolt 49 extending from the casing 48 to a part of the stationary frame, such as the casing 20. In said casing 48 the shaft 23 is provided with an insulating drum 50 provided with two conducting segments 51, 52 cross connected by a bridge 53 and provided with gaps 54 located side by side. The segment 51 cooperates with two yielding contact members 55, 56 and the segment 52 with two like yielding contact members 57, 58. All of the four contact members 55, 56, 57 and 58 are mounted upon stud shafts 59 adjustable circumfercntially of the shaft 23 in slots 60 in the wall of casing 48, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to enable the several contacts to be accurately timed with relation to their segments.

Referring to Fig. 8, (ll. represents he main line switch. 62 is the pressure button and 63 the release button, these two button switches being preferably mechanically cross-connected or interlocked, as shown, so that but one thereof can be pressed at a time, while closing of one switch automatically opens the other.

The operation is as follows:

Fig. 1 shows the parts in full open position. The crank 24, it will be observed, has rearward motion from its extreme right hand position in dotted lines, 3, to its extreme left hand position with the crank horizontal, and a forward motion from its said extreme left hand position back again, all motionbeing in the clockwise direction. VJhen the press is open, in Figs. 1 and 2, the crank 24 is near, but short of the end of its rearward travel and the auxiliary toggle formed by members 26, 27 is open or broken, with the connecting pin 25 at approximately the posi tion of shaft 23 and with the pin 30 riding on the hub of the crank. By grasping the ha die 6 the head can be manually pulled down into close pressing relation with the bed or to the end of the safe zone, which motion, it not obstructed, will more the parts to the full. line position, Fig. 3, thereby straightening the auxiliary toggles 26, 27, until the abutments 28, 29 contact, and also nearly straightening the main toggles 8, 13.

The parts are now ready for the power ressure operation, which will be later decribed, but it after closing the press to the ml of the safe zone, as described, the operaor desires to immediately open it without power pressure operation he may do so by depressing the foot treadle 31 and causing its lateral extension 35 to move upwardly and break the auxiliary toggle 2G, 27, enabling the head to be raised either by the hand or by the effect of its counter weight.

When the operator desir s apower pressure eliect with the parts in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, to wit, with the head ClOSOf to the end. of the safe zone, he depresses the pressure button 62, Fig. 8, thereby completing a circuit from L1 by way of button 62. wire 64, contact 55, segment 51, bridge 53, segment 52, contact 57, wire 65, brake release coil 41 and wire 66 to L2. Energiza tion of the coil 41 releases the brake and also closes the switch contacts 46, 47 which completes a circuit from L1 through contacts 46, 47 and through the motor armature and field to L2. Themotor therefore starts and rotates the crank from the position shown in'full -lines,"fFig. 3,;about '45 degrees: to a position in which the crank 24 is substantially horizontal'and' at the left ofs'h'aft 23. n this position the gaps in the segments 51, 52 reach the contacts 55, 5'7 and the opposite ends of the segments engage the contacts 56, Openin' of the circuit through the contacts 55, 57 de-en izes coil 41, whereupon the brake is applied by the spring 40 and con tacts 46, 47 open, breaking the motor circuit. T he motor operated parts therefore stop with the pressing members in full pressing posi tion.

To open the press after any desired period of pressing, the operator depresses the pressure release button 63, thereby establishing another starting circuit from L1 through said button by way of contact 56, se ments 51, 52 and contact 58, to wire 65, coil 41, etc, thereby again releasing the brake and completing the motor circuit through contacts 46, 47. The motor thereupon starts and rotates the crank 24 in the clockwise direction. During this forward motion of the crank 24 from left to right in Fig. 3 the auxiliary toggle including members 26, 2 functions as a tension member to positively pull open the main toggles 8, 13, so continuing until approximately the dot-dash line position, 3, is reached, wh reupon the roller 30 engages the hub of the crank 24 and stops further lowering move ment of the auxiliary toggle member 27, but crank 24 and toggle member 26 continue to rotate in the clockwise direction, The effect is to automatically breal: or open the auxiliary toggle members 26, 27, the parts moving to the position shown in Fig. 1, where the segments 51, 52 leave or pass beyond the contacts 56, 58 and deenergize and open the circuit through the coil 41, resulting in immediate stopping action of the motor operated parts and application of the brake. The parts have now been restored to their original positions, ready for another manual closing operation to be followed by a power pressureoperation, as before.

The foregoing describes normal operation when the closing of the pressing members is not obstructed. Under emergency conditions, such as when the operators hand or arm accidentally lies between the pressing members, their full closure by manual operation is prevented, so that the auxiliary toggle members 26, 27 do not move to full straightened position, but to a position short thereof. Therefore, even though the power pressure button 62- be depressed to cause the motor to proceed through a power pressure cycle the power efi'ect of crank 24 is not transmitted through toggle members 26, 27 to the main toggles, but the auxiliary toggle is further opened or broken and a power eifect is not produced. Likewise, if the pressure button 62 is depressed with the press inopen position, as in Fig. 1, the crank 24 proceeds through its power operation and the pin connecting it to member 26 engages member 27 and elevates the same, so that by depressing the release button 63 the crank 24 may be made tocontinue through a release operation to restore the parts to original position, all without the production of any power effect upon the press members.

, The press described is-safe in that it is impossible to produce the application of power effect to the head lever at any time other than when the pressing members are closed to the end of the safe zone and consequently at'a time when iit is impossible for a part of the operators person to be in a dangerous position between the pressing members. The operating connections between the power :op crating member, to wit, crank 24, and the main toggle membersis o-f-a character adaptedto be either disabled from producing closing or pressing operationsor renderedeffectlve therefor, but, of course, is always ef festive to open the press wihenclosed. Under ordinary circumstances, such operating connections are rendered effective for pressure operation by closing movement of the press and are automatically disabled during the release operation after the press is opened. At

the same time said connections may be .disabled at the will of the operator after the press has been closed,but prior to the production of a power pressure effect.

What I claim is:

1. A pressing machine, comprisingrelativel-y movable pressing members, main toggle members for producing relative movement of said pressing members to thereby close and open the press, auxiliary toggle members connected at one end to a point between the ends of said main toggle members, said maintoggle members being manually operable to effect closing of the .press, and

movable member supporting and connected to the other end of said auxiliary toggle members for operating the same and being unaffected by vtheclosing-of the press.

2. [A pressing machine, comprising relatively movable pressing members, main toggle members for producing relative movement of said pressing members to thereby close and open the press, auxiliary toggle members connected at one end to a point between the ends of said main toggle members, said main toggle members being manually operable to eifect closing of the press, and a rotatable member supporting and connected to the other end of said auxiliary toggle members for operating the same and being unaffected by the closing of the. press.

3. A pressing machine, comprising rela- :tively movable pressing members,main toggle members for producing relative move ment of said pressing members to thereby close and open the press, said main toggle members being manually operable to close the press, a movableoperating member, auxiliary toggle members connected at one end to a movable part of said operating member and at the other end to said main toggle mem bers, and an abutment arranged to be engaged by said auxiliary toggle members insuring press opening operation of said operating member whereby said operating member is effective to break said auxiliary toggle members but ineffective to straighten them.

4. A pressing machine, comprising relatively movable pressing members, main togglemembers for producing relative move ment of said pressing members to thereby close and open the press, said main toggle members being manually operable to close the press, an operating member, auxiliary toggle members connecting said operating member and said main toggle members, said auxiliary toggle members being moved to substantially straightened position by the closing of the press, and means carried by said auxiliary toggle members and co-operating with said operating member for break ing said auxiliary toggle members upon movement of said operating member.

5. A pressing machine, comprising relatively movable pressing members, main toggle members for producing relative movement of said pressing members to thereby effect closing and opening of the press, said main toggle members being manually operable to close the press, auxiliary toggle members connected to said main toggle members and movable to substantially straightened position by closing of the press, a member connected to said auxiliary toggle members for effecting opening of the press, and means carried by said auxiliary toggle members and cooperating with said operating member to effect breaking of the auxiliary toggle members when the press is opened.

6. A pressing machine, comprising relatively movable pressing members, main toggle members for producing relative movement of said pressing members to thereby efi'ect closing and opening of the press, said main toggle members being manually operable to close the press, auxiliary toggle members connected to said main toggle members and movable to substantially straightened position by closing of the press, a member connected to said auxiliary toggle members for effecting opening 01? the press, means carried by said auxiliary toggle members and cooperating with said operating member to efiect breaking of the auxiliary toggle members when the press is opened, means tending to open the press when said auxiliary toggle members are broken, and operator op- Fill 

